Chaos and frustration gripped passengers at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Sunday afternoon as the Vande Bharat Express (Train No. 20706) to Nanded faced a massive six-hour delay, leaving families — many with young children — stranded on the eve of Diwali. Claiming that the railway officials were not co-operative, passengers said they had to pay extra money for the waiting hall and other amenities at CSMT as they waited.

The train, originally scheduled to depart at 1.10 pm, was rescheduled to 7.30 pm after the incoming rake of Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat was damaged in a cattle run incident near Solapur earlier in the day. According to the railway officials, the mishap reportedly caused damage to the aerodynamic nose cone — the signature “face” of the Vande Bharat — necessitating inspection and repairs before the set could be cleared for its return journey.